It is currently the practice with various brass or zinc articles such as faucets, faucet escutcheons, door knobs, door handles, door escutcheons and the like to first buff and polish the surface of the article to a high gloss and to then apply a protective organic coating, such as one comprised of acrylics, urethanes, epoxies, and the like, onto this polished surface. This system has the drawback that the buffing and polishing operation, particularly if the article is of a complex shape, is labor intensive. Also, the known organic coatings are not always as durable as desired, and are susceptible to attack by acids. It would, therefore, be quite advantageous if brass or zinc articles, or indeed other metallic articles, could be provided with a coating which gave the article the appearance of highly polished brass, provided wear resistance and corrosion protection, and also provided improved acid resistance. The present invention provides such a coating.